Skipping Saxon first lessons

[IanSebast]

I read ALL the posts about Saxon, and found out that people don't recommend skipping lessons or problems throughout the book, but nothing specifically mentioned the first chapters. We do school year round, and are almost done with Saxon 54, and while reviewing 65 noticed a lot of review chapters. I'm nervous to skip, but at the same time don't want to waste time reviewing if we just finished the material and the results are excellent.

Have you skipped the first chapters, if so, how many?

If you were in my shoes, would you skip any chapters?

:bigear:

[KLA]

We don't skip them because my kids like to have easy lessons to fly right through and it's a nice confidence booster for them, especially if they have just worked through the end of a Saxon book that was a lot of new information. I think it's nice for them to do some lessons quickly and easily.

[kristinannie]

Are there chapter tests that you could give to see if they know the information? Also, I know that Saxon is a spiral method of learning so there is lots of built in review. I know that most people in PS take summers off so extensive review is necessary. I think it is fine to skip some sections or just do limited pages or problems to get through it more quickly. I have done that with other programs (especially our phonics workbook). I would think that it is a really personal decision based on your kids. Are they the type who like some easy work or do they get bored with that? I would say to trust your gut!!!

[G5052]

I'm picky though, so once they get less than 90%, we back up and go lesson-by-lesson.

[Carol in Cal.]

Yes, if you school year round you can afford to give the chapter tests and start where the scores drop below 90% at the beginning of each book. Don't skip the lessons at the end, though, as they are the meatiest of each book and are not covered thoroughly in the review lessons in the next ones.

[Jim]

I spoke to Art Reed at a recent HS show and he was steadfast in his belief that you should wait at least a month between books (let the material settle in) and should complete the early lessons as they review the material from the prior book.

 

Of course, Art believes you should complete every single problem in the book, no cheating by skipping or doing just the right/left column.

[TracyR]

If you feel compelled to skip. I noticed with my Saxon 5/4 and 6/5 that the first 35 lessons were review of the last grade.

 

But what I did was have her do odds or evens just to be sure that she wasn't having any problems. Sometimes I would double up lessons too.

[angel marie]

hi,

this is what art reed (an expert teacher on saxon) has written in his book about john saxon math:

 

don't skip the first 30-35 lessons in the book because it looks like the work you did in the last book. some of the problems early in the book appear to be the same, but they have been changed to ensure that the student has mastered the concept. remember that the student has probably been away from the math for sixty to ninety days . he needs to review. The first lessons in the book contains new material as well as some review.

It also reinfores their confidence in math through review. hope this helps.;)

[Superfly]

We are in the lower levels, but we school year round and skipped many lessons at the beginning of Math 2. She did some of them, but only those that I wasn't sure if she had mastered or not. DD7 was already in review overload before we started Math 2. I really like Saxon, but we are taking a break for the second half and doing R&S instead. Then when we start Saxon 3 we'll do all the review this time. I don't see why you couldn't skip lessons. You know best what your kiddo needs.

[Hedgehog]

When we start a new level of Saxon, we test through until the score drops below 90%. I check the tests to see if there is a consistent problem with a concept (or two) and make sure we cover that, before they go into whichever lesson we've tested up to. It's usually somewhere around lessons 40-50.

 

We do however school year round so there's no gap to forget what they learned before!

[G5052]

You know best what your kiddo needs.

 

I have Art Reed's book and have a lot of respect for him, but he is relatively new to the concept of homeschooling and especially year-round schooling. He is a classroom teacher who really knows Saxon Math. Certainly he has much to contribute, but I don't take his word as being the only way. I agree with his concern about skipping too much, but do I think that it can be managed in a homeschool setting differently that he says with good results.

[IanSebast]

After reading your responses I think we are going to test until the scores drop below 90%, that way I can make sure he's being challenged when we settle on a place to start, but not to the point where the material will be over his head. Since we're not taking a break right now, he really doesn't need the review.

Thank you for all your responses! I love this forum!!!!:grouphug:

[CarenM]

There's no general rules, as a home school parent do what you feel is right for your kids

[EKS]

I noticed when we did Saxon that while the first lessons are review, they also will take the concepts a small step farther than the previous book did.